I come from a rowing background and had competed at international level when I was younger, so I was not a stranger to exercise, however I had previously struggled to motivate myself in regular gyms and with other coaches, who would spend most of the time chit chatting and not really helping me with my technique or pushing me to improve. They seemed more happy in billing me than training me. I never learnt anything new with those coaches.  

 

But then in 2015 my life was changed for the better when I was introduced to CrossFit and Keith, and I started training with him in New York at CrossFit Wall Street. 

 

With Keith, he always paid attention to technique and form, and he would make sure you did not put yourself in a position where you could injure yourself. He challenged me and was able to accurately see how far to push me, with the result that each day I was getting that bit fitter and stronger, lifting that bit more, running/biking/rowing that bit faster. What was great was how he took the time to teach me how to move and use my strength to do things I could never do before, from more than one pull up in a row (I can now do lots of them), to doing a handstand. In classes with Keith he would instinctively know what weight I should have on the bar to lift, and how to eke that last calorie out of me on the assault bike. After training with Keith I always left the gym on a high. 

 

When I planned to ride a stage of the Tour de France, Keith designed a special workout for me, and took me through it himself at our regular one-on-one training sessions, making sure I was well prepared to take on the challenging climbs in the French Alps. Similarly if I had an injury Keith would find a way for me to continue to exercise while at the same time working on injury rehab.

 

Now that's just the pure physical part. Keith also became a true friend, someone I could turn to for help, for advice and guidance on any number of things. We went to sporting events together, (his genuine and infectious love of the Boston Red Soxs and Celtics in particular was always a great topic of conversation), completed ultra marathons together and even faced off in a USA v Europe competition (Europe won!). 

 

It is very hard to fully express my gratitude for what Keith as a coach and as a friend has done for me, but what I can say is that he is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of the most amazing people I know, and it is only the fact that I am now living in Switzerland that I cannot still train with him. If anyone has the opportunity to train with him and learn from him the way I did, I would say go for it, you won't regret it.

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John